JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (NewsNation) — The Mexican military has launched a new command center as they work to shut down one of the most dangerous smuggling points along the San Diego-Tijuana border.
While embedded with the Mexican military and National Guard, NewsNation obtained an exclusive look at the new operations as officials patrolled one of the most dangerous areas of the border, controlled by armed human smugglers in Jacume, Mexico. It’s directly across from Jacumba Hot Springs, California, a remote area with sparse resources and rough terrain where smugglers have the advantage.
Smugglers are familiar with the landscape and every route leading to the U.S. border wall. The hills provide scouts with a vantage point to monitor activity in the area and track the Mexican military’s movement. Even local ranchers are reportedly paid off by the cartel to act as lookouts.
NewsNation arrived at the newly established base camp, which is located in an area where smugglers load vehicles with migrants and drive them right up to the border wall to cross illegally through an open gap. Mexican officials claim their presence has reduced illegal crossings and forced many migrants to find other entry points into the U.S.
David Perez Tejada, delegate of the National Migration Institute in Baja, California, described tackling criminal smugglers as a massive uphill battle.
“We are at high risk. In these areas, there are armed people, many of whom are linked to criminal groups, and that is why we must be careful. Obviously, there is a struggle because they leave traps on the roads. They leave punctured tires, spiked wires, and rods to puncture our tires,” Tejada said. “They have all kinds of devices and trucks, intelligence, and people they paid off. They are watching us. At this moment, motorcyclists may be watching us from a hill with binoculars.”
This area has recently become a popular crossing point for Chinese migrants, according to sources in Mexico who told NewsNation criminal smugglers in Mexico are facilitating their passage.
Chinese migrants are offered “a package trip” to the U.S. border, paying anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000. Smugglers coordinate detailed travel arrangements, including flights and hotels along the journey.
Sources told NewsNation that once Chinese migrants cross into Mexico in Tapachula, they are granted a humanitarian visa from government officials, allowing them to travel freely within Mexico. Hundreds of Chinese migrants arrive at the Tijuana airport every day.
“The Chinese, for example, get sold other routes entering through countries that did not require a visa. For example, the Chinese fly to Ecuador, from Ecuador they get an Airbnb, and the smugglers have them fly to Colombia or through Nicaragua. And there comes the same cycle that I mentioned about getting them protection to cross through Mexico. They eventually arrive here in Baja and then cross here in Jacume,” Tejada said.
NewsNation learned Mexican officials are installing a new base at another open gap on the border wall, aiming to shut down a second crossing point used by hundreds of Chinese migrants. Mexican officials confirmed these are long-term operations planned along the border to deter future migrant surges.